Alerts,Status News an attempt by Civil Defence to Alert/Integrate Responders & Stake Holders.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

F/C NO:- 131/2015..DATE :- 31-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 14:30Hrs.. ADDS:- #61, veerapellai street, opposite road to commetcial street police station, B'lore....N.O.F :- cloth shop fire due to Electric short circuit..V.T.O :- 01 varun & 01W/T from SFS Sent to Spot...









The godown of a cloth shop situated on the busy Commercial Street was gutted in a fire that broke out on Saturday.
Passers-by who noticed smoke billowing out from the basement alerted the shopkeepers. The shop was located close to the Commercial Street police station. The owners evacuated the shop and minimised damage in the godown.
Five Fire and Emergency Services personnel rushed to the spot and put out the fire. The loss of property is yet to be ascertained. Though police suspect that an electrical short circuit was the cause of the fire, investigations are on.


Friday, January 30, 2015

Six motorcycles gutted by fire after short-circuit in parking lot :: Siddapura:: Bengaluru ::January 30, 2015

Six two-wheelers parked in the basement of Ganga Metal Box Industry, a small scale industry, was gutted due to an accidental fire. The incident took place in Siddapura late on Thursday night.
The motorcycles belonged to the staff members of the industry. Some employees noticed the smoke from the cellar parking and alerted fire and emergency services.
Two fire tenders rushed to spot and put out the fire before it could spread to other parts of the industry. Electric short-circuit may have led to the mishap, the police said.


Thursday, January 29, 2015

#fc123... Kormangala.. Behind passport office.. 3rd cross.. Nof.. House fire

F/C NO:- 121/2015.. DATE :- 29-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 11:58Hrs.. ADDS:- #21,02nd cross, agro layout, attiguppe, B'lore.... N.O.F :- Electric boiler fire in home.. V.T.O :- 01 W/T from RFS Sent to Spot..


F/C NO:- 120/2015.. DATE :- 29-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 10:45Hrs.. ADDS:- laggere bridge,near kantirava studio,ring road,peenya B'lore.... N.O.F :- BMTC bus fire.. V.T.O :- 01 W/T from YFS & 01 W/T from PFS Sent to Spot...

A Peenya-Majestic bound BMTC bus caught fire at Laggere Bridge on Thursday morning, falling under RMC Yard police station limits.
No casualties have been reported as all the passengers safely exited from the bus. A battery short-circuit is said to be the cause of the fire.
The incident happened around 10.45 a.m. while the bus was heading to Majestic with over 20 passengers on board. On reaching Laggere Bridge the bus driver noticed smoke emanating from the engine and alerted the passengers before coming to a halt.
The passengers ran to safety before the bus was engulfed in fire. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and put out the fire. Traffic movement on Laggere Bridge was disrupted for some time.

Telangana government to revamp fire-fighting operations::Jan 28, 2015,





HYDERABAD: Fire-fighting operations will soon see a sea change with firemen replacing water/foam with an aerosol system. 


With fire mishaps occurring at the Secretariat at regular intervals, the Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services has approved the use of aerosol sprinkler system (ASS), which is much advanced than the traditional water sprinkler system. 

Though the new technology will be introduced at the Telangana Secretariat in the first phase, it may be extended to regular fire-fighting operations at a later stage. 

Fire services officers said that the aerosol system has been recommended for some locations at the Secretariat and other government offices where expensive equipment and sensitive information are stored on servers. 

"This system can be used only in buildings, especially in areas where computers and servers are set up. During any fire mishap, the sprinkler bubble will open and release gas (aerosol) to douse the flames without any damage to equipment unlike the water sprinkler system," TSDRFS director P Venkateshwar told TOI. 

"When a fire tender is pressed into service or water sprinklers are activated to douse flames at an accident site, the oxygen levels come down due to the smoke, making it difficult for breathing and thereby increasing the chances of casualties. In ASS, the oxygen level will be maintained at 20.8% in the atmosphere, just like normal conditions," he added. 

Though the fire service officials do not have any immediate plan to use it, the sources said it could be used for fire-fighting operations in future. 

"This system can be adopted by individuals too for their residences. Many pharma and IT companies have started using this technology to avoid property loss during fire accidents," the officer said. 

It is learnt that over 5,000 buildings in the city do not have proper fire safety measures. As per the National Building Code (NBC), sprinklers were mandatory for high-rises and now the government has approved the use of aerosol. Even CISF has approved the new technology. 

Industry experts said a five-kg aerosol apparatus could be used for extinguishing fire in an area of 100 cubic metres in just a few seconds. 

The equipment has to be just arranged at a location (a room) and it would automatically start working on sensing an outbreak of fire. The proposal, which was pending with the united Andhra Pradesh government for the last 18 months, was finally accepted recently. 

"It is high time aerosol sprinklers are installed at places like Secretariat. The shelf life of the system is 15 years and this is a pressure-less technology. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Maharashtra are in the final stages of implementing the usage of aerosol,'' fire consultant to the Secretariat C Andrew said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Telangana-government-to-revamp-fire-fighting-operations/articleshow/46035776.cms

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

F/C NO:- 118/2015..DATE :- 28-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 22:04Hrs.. ADDS:- H.B.R.Layout. Banasawadi. BDA Comlax NearB'lore....N.O.F :-Fire In Shop..V.T.O :- 01 W/t from Bwfs Sent to Spot...

#Whatsapp_Group_Updates
***Minor fire put off sandeep sagai satish ansari and jayanth are on the spot from div 43 clear




Cops crack down on those setting vehicles ablaze::Jan 27, 2015,

Police say such incidents to be treated as criminal cases and perpetrators to be booked under Goonda Act

Park your vehicle on the road at night at your own risk, as cases of vehicles being set ablaze by miscreants has seen a sharp rise in recent past, with more than 150 incidents of such arson being reported in the last two years.

According to the city police, more than 100 vehicles, including cars and two-wheelers, were set ablaze in 2014. This when 30 such cases were registered in 2013, and the figure for 2012 was in single digit.

Police have taken the rise in such incidents seriously and said strict action will be taken against those indulging in such cases of arson.

Earlier, such cases were considered as accidental and even the vehicle owners thought so, but now we are taking them up as criminal cases and investigating to nab the culprits, Additional commissioner of police (law and order) Alok Kumar said.

"We have booked around seven such miscreants under the Goonda Act. We have opened rowdy-sheets against others who have been involved in burning vehicles and if they continue with their act, they will be booked under the Goonda Act where they will be in the jail for a year," he said.

Police have given three reasons for what may seem like a random act of vandalism.

Fuel thieves burn the vehicle in disappointment when they don't find sufficient fuel in it; mischievous characters roaming at night under the influence of alcohol and drugs set fire to vehicles just for fun and escape; and if people have disputes against someone, they vent it by setting their vehicles ablaze in revenge.

Kumar said, "Whatever the reason is, burning of vehicles will not be tolerated. The Deputy Commissioner of Police of the respective divisions have been asked to visit the spot during such incidents without fail and file a criminal case."


Bike set ablaze

In the latest such incident, unknown miscreants set ablaze a bike that was parked outside a house on seventh cross, Jai Javan Nagar in Banaswadi on Sunday night. The bike belonged to Kamal Singh, a subedar in the Army. On Sunday night around 1 am, Singh noticed smoke outside his house. He ran out of the house to find that some miscreants had set fire to his bike which was parked in front of his residence. A complaint was filed with the Banaswadi police regarding the arson.

Section 435 IPC says

Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of one hundred or (in case of agricultural produce) ten rupees.Whoever commits mischief by fire or any explosive substance intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, damage to any property to the amount of one hundred rupees or upwards 1[or (where the property is agricultural produce) ten rupees or upwards], shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.


Drone spots fire in Lalbagh, prevents damage::Jan 27, 2015



BENGALURU: In New Delhi, an Obama-Modi joint statement on Sunday spelt out a plan for both their countries to make drones together. Closer home, in Lalbagh, a drone surveying the ongoing Republic Day Flower Show caused some buzz, after it spotted a fire and prevented damage. The incident happened between 10.30am and 11am when the drone, costing approximately Rs 1.5 lakh, was flying around the Lalbagh Rock area. It picked up images of smoke and relayed it back to the control. Its pilot Shivaprasad Jali decided to get closer and look and found that someone had lit a fire that had the potential of causing considerable damage.


"They informed us and the horticulture department, and we doused the fire almost immediately," a police official deputed at Lalbagh said. The drone belongs to Vyoma Aerospace, which has been roped in by the horticulture department for surveillance during the flower show. "We were asked to co-ordinate with the police and fly the drone in areas the cops wanted. Initially we were flying it around the Glass House which is the most crowded area. But the cops told us they have enough manpower there and asked us fly near the Rock, which was not manned," Jali, who is also Vyoma's chief pilot, told TOI. Police officials said the fire was potentially threatening but an early detection allowed them to prevent any damage at the historic park, which seeS huge footfalls during the weekend. "And you know how many more turn up during the flower show. The Rock area is generally crowded," one of them said. Naveen Bhat, a co-ordinator for Vyoma, said: "If the police had not asked to survey the Rock area, we wouldn't have spotted it. So in that sense it was a good co-ordinated effort."


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Drone-spots-fire-in-Lalbagh-prevents-damage/articleshow/46014810.cms

Students get fire safety lessons : HUBBALLI, January 22, 2015


It all happened within minutes. With a fire in the school laboratory, a few students fainted out of shock and a few out of asphyxiation. Frightened children were running around screaming. With the smoke engulfing the laboratory, there was chaos in the entire school building.
However, there was timely help on the card. A few senior students and teachers rescued the children and soon the classroom was evacuated with fire brigade personnel wearing safety gears and fire resistant outfits also joining them in the rescue mission.
The ‘injured’ were given prompt first aid and some were ‘shifted’ to the hospital in ambulance. The timely help by the senior students and teachers was appreciated through loud cheering and clapping by other students.
All this was part of a drill conducted by students and teachers of M.R. Sakhare English Medium School near Unakal Cross in Hubballi during the All India Fire Evacuation Day.
Chief Fire Officer F.H. Kurkundi said that whenever there was a fire mishap, the place should be evacuated immediately and the fire brigade should be alerted by calling helpline number 101 or the Hubballi control room on 0836-2322555.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/students-get-fire-safety-lessons/article6810419.ece

Fire breaks out at coir unit :: January 27, 2015 ::Channarayapatna taluk on Monday

Coir products and equipment worth over Rs. 20 lakh were burnt in a fire in a coir unit at Mattanavile village in Channarayapatna taluk on Monday. The fire occurred at the coir fibre store at around 12.30 p.m. and spread to the bales of fibre stocked in the unit, owned by a Tamil Nadu based exporter.
Rudre Gowda, District Fire Officer, told The Hindu that four fire tenders were pressed into service to extinguish the fire. “We are making arrangements for two more fire tenders. We are making all efforts to reduce the loss,” he said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/fire-breaks-out-at-coir-unit/article6825458.ece

F/C NO:- 115/2015.. DATE :- 28-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 09:54Hrs.. ADDS:- Appollo paints, #51, 04th cross, 03rd phase, peenya industrial area, B'lore.... N.O.F :- Switch board fire in industry.. V.T.O :- 01 W/T from PFS Sent to Spot...


Monday, January 26, 2015

F/C NO:- 109/2015.. DATE :- 26-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 21:23Hrs.. ADDS:- Garudacharpalya, near State Bank Of Hyderabad, Opposite to V.S.T, B'lore.... N.O.F :- Wastage Plastic and Bags Fire In Godown.. V.T.O :- 01 W/T From MDFS Sent to Spot...

BMTC bus gutted in fire after accident ::: January 26, 2015 17:17 IST


A BMTC bus was gutted in fire, after the driver lost control of the bus and rammed it into a divider which led to the fire.
Over 30 passengers narrowly escaped the accident as they jumped out to safety before the bus was engulfed in fire.
Fire and emeregeny personnel, along with the police, rushed to the spot and put out the fire.
Traffic on Old Madres Road was disrupted for sometime. The bus was going to Sarjapura from Hoskote, the police said.

A BMTC bus was completely destroyed after a fire broke out in its engine, on Monday on the Boodigere flyover on Old Madras Road.

The driver's presence of mind saved the passengers' lives, the police said.According to the police, the fire broke out inside the engine at around 7 am, after the bus had left the K R Puram depot and was heading towards Hosakote. The driver noticed an unusual sound in the engine when the bus was on the flyover. He stopped the bus and requested the passengers to get down immediately, the police added.

Seconds after they got down, sparks were seen around the engine and soon, the bus was in flames, the police said. The driver and the conductor alerted the police and the fire department.
The police rushed to the spot and sought the services of a private tanker to douse the fire.

However, the fire had completely gutted the bus before the fire tenders could reach the spot, said the police. Initial probe has indicated technical reasons as a cause for the mishap, said the police.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/bmtc-bus-gutted-in-fire-after-accident/article6823863.ece





F/C NO:- 108/2015.. DATE :- 26-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 17:19Hrs.. ADDS:- Near Canara Bank, Vartur, Sarjapur Road, B'lore.... N.O.F :- house fire due to LPG leakage V.T.O :- 01 W/T From SPFS Sent to Spot...

Sunday, January 25, 2015

R/C NO:- 99/2015.. DATE :- 25-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 09:42Hrs.. ADDS:- Alpha proprites.bellandoor lndian oil petrpl bunk.green glain layout.bangalore. N.O.F.house fire V.T.O :- 01 W/T From SRFS Sent to Spot...

F/C NO:- 97/2015..DATE :- 24-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 15:16Hrs.. ADDS:- Yalahanka new town, RL Fine chemical factory, near GoGo International Garments, B'lore....N.O.F :- Fire in chemical storage factory.V.T.O :- 02 W/T From YLFS & HBFS Sent to Spot...


Files at Mandya TP office gutted in fire:: January 24, 2015


Some files were gutted in a fire accident at the Executive Officer’s office of Mandya Taluk Panchayat here on Saturday morning.
According to the police, locals alerted the police after observing smoke emanating from the Panchayat EO Basavaraj’s office. The Fire and Emergency Services Department personnel rushed to the spot and prevented the flames from spreading.
Sources at the TP said some important files pertaining to various schemes and projects were reduced to ashes in the accident. The police said they would investigate the case.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/files-at-mandya-tp-office-destroyed-in-fire/article6818520.ece

Friday, January 23, 2015

Fire breaks out in Bidar-Yeshwanthpur train

A minor fire was noted in the engine of the Bidar–Yeshwanthpur train on Thursday evening. But no one was injured.
The train reached Bengaluru on Friday morning, two hours late.
Passengers were made to get down from the train two times between Bidar and Mattalakunta station in Telangana, a passenger said.
Loco drivers and mechanics extinguished the fire and repaired the machine set. It was thoroughly checked at the Zaheerabad station. It reached Yeshwantpur later than usual, railway authorities said. They said they were looking at the issue from all angles.

F/C NO:- 91/2015.. DATE :- 23-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 22:13Hrs.. ADDS:- Near M.S Ramaiah Hospital, New BEL Road, B'lore.... N.O.F :- Fire in Coffee day due to Electric Short Circuit. V.T.O :- 01 W/T From YFS Sent to Spot...

F/C NO:- 90/2015.. DATE :- 23-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 17:33Hrs.. ADDS:- Bairasandhra, near Anjaneyaswami temple, Siddapura P/S limits, B'lore.... N.O.F :- House fire.. V.T.O :- 01 W/T From JFS Sent to Spot...

F/C NO:- 87/2015.. DATE :- 23-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 12:35Hrs.. ADDS:- Sampigehalli Police Station limits, Chokkanahalli, Heggadenagar main road, B'lore.... N.O.F :- Ground Grass fire.. V.T.O :- 01 W/T From HBFS Sent to Spot...


F/C NO:- 86/2015.. DATE :- 23-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 11:16Hrs.. ADDS:- Binnymill,Cottonpete. B'lore.... N.O.F :- Weastage fire. V.T.O :- 01 W/T From NFS Sent to Spot...

Thursday, January 22, 2015

F/C NO:- 82/2015.. DATE :- 22-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 22:30Hrs.. ADDS:- #3267, 11th main, HAl 2nd stage, indranagar, B'lore.... N.O.F :- house Fire due to short circuit... V.T.O :- 01 W/T From SFS Sent to Spot...


Mock drill marks ‘Fire Evacuation Day’

January 21, 2015 Mock drill marks ‘Fire Evacuation Day’

It all happened within minutes. With fire in the school laboratory few students fainted out of shock and few out of asphyxiation. Frightened children were running around screaming. With the smoke engulfing the laboratory, there was chaos in the entire school building.

However, a few senior students and teachers rescued the children and soon the classroom was evacuated with fire brigade personnel wearing safety gears and fire resistant outfits joining them in the rescue mission. The ‘injured’ were given first aid immediately and some were ‘shifted’ to the hospital in ambulance. Efforts of the senior students and teachers were appreciated by the other students.

All this was part of the mock drill conducted by the students and teachers of M.R. Sakhare English Medium School near Unakal Cross in Hubballi as part of the ‘All India Fire Evacuation Day’.

The mock drill was followed by a demonstration on how to extinguish fire in case of fuel containers catching fire.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/mock-drill-marks-fire-evacuation-day/article6808433.ece

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

F/C NO:- 75/2015.. DATE :- 20-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 12:35Hrs.. ADDS:- Survey #147, Kodathi Gate, Sarjapura Road, Near Hanuman Statue, B'lore.... N.O.F :- L.P.G Gas Fire In House.... V.T.O :- 01 Agni & 01 W/T From SPFS Sent to Spot...

F/C NO :- 72/2015..DATE :-20-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 00:32Hrs.. ADDRS:- M.M card palace, Near vishwanatha temple, Chikkpete Police station limits, B'lore....N.O.F :- Fire in Printing Press.V.T.O :- 02W/T from NFS & HFS Sent to Spot...

Short-circuit causes fire in printing press

A printing press situated on the first floor of a commercial building, close to police station, was gutted due to suspected electrical short-circuit in Chickpet in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Three fire tenders rushed to the spot and put out the fire. The loss of the property is yet to be ascertained.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/shortcircuit-causes-fire-in-printing-press/article6805353.ece

3fe 2 floor putoff by 120 hrs

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Shanthinagar in Tumakuru city ::Four injured due to fire caused by gas leakage


Four people were injured in a fire due to gas leakage in a house at Shanthinagar in Tumakuru city on Saturday morning.
The police said that the injured are Ravi (35), his wife Dhanu (30), their daughter Poorvika (5) and neighbour Thulasamma (31) of Shanthinagar.
The police say that as the cylinder regulator was slightly loose, gas might have leaked. When Dhanu went to light the gas stove, it caught fire and caused burn injuries to four of them. They had sustained minor burn injuries and are receiving treatment at the District Government hospital.

F/C NO :- 61/2015.. DATE :-17-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 16:55Hrs.. ADDRS:- V.V.Puram, National High School, Vasavi Kalyana Mantapa Road, B'lore.... N.O.F :- Fire due To L.P.G Leakage in House.. V.T.O :- 01 QR/V & 01 AGNI from NFS Sent to Spot...

Thursday, January 15, 2015

F/C NO :- 55/2015.. DATE :-15-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 15:45Hrs.. ADDS :- #65, 2'A' Cross, Kaveripuram, Bajaj Showroom road, Kamkshipalya, B'lore.... N.O.F :- House Fire.. V.T.O :- 01W/T & 01 Agni from RFS Sent to Spot...

Major fire at rail workshop:: Hubballi

Smoke billowing out of the Rail Carriage Repair Workshop in Hubballi on Wednesday.


A major fire that broke out in the century-old Rail Carriage Repair Workshop on Gadag Road here, created panic among the workers and the public on Wednesday.
The fire was noticed around 12.50 p.m. at the rubbish yard of the workshop, and spread quickly. There were no casualties.
The Fire and Emergency Services personnel rushed to the spot. The operation that went on 8 p.m. and involved 45 personnel and six fire engines. The workshop didn’t have any standard fire-fighting equipment or arrangements, including a fire hydrant, sources said. Deputy Chief Workshop Manager Vijaykumar issued a statement hat the Railways had not incurred any loss due to the fire as the material that got burnt was of zero value. He said the cause of the fire would be investigated.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/major-fire-at-rail-workshop/article6790647.ece

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

F/C NO:- 51/2015.. DATE :-14-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 19:46Hrs.. ADDS :- Avalhalli,near BDA complex,girinagar.B'lore.... N.O.F :-Engine Fire to BMTC bus V.T.O :- 01QRV from NFS Sent to Spot...

Fire put off, minor fire. Diesel leakage

F/C NO:- 50/2015.. DATE :-14-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 16:29Hrs.. ADDS :- Srirampura, Jigani Link Road, Near Biocon, Omex Circle, B'lore.... N.O.F :- Outside Open Place Cotton Bundles Fire.. V.T.O :- 01 W/T from ECFS Sent to Spot...

F/C NO:- 49/2015.. DATE :-14-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 15:52Hrs.. ADDS :- Rishi Leather Company Limited, Bommasandra Industrial Area, Electronic City, Near S.F.O Company, B'lore.... N.O.F :- Fire In Apartment At 2nd Floor.. V.T.O :- 01 W/T from ECFS Sent to Spot...

Seven huts gutted in Raichur fire accident :Updated: January 13, 2015 15:54 IST



Seven houses along with grain-stock, cash, valuable jewelleries, cloths and all other household articles have been completely burnt in a fire accident at Myadar street in Sia Talab area here on Tuesday.
No casualty was, reported in the accident.
Unable to quench the expanding flames, people informed the fire brigade personnel who arrived immediately along with two fire-fighting vehicles and started the operation. Mass debacle at the spot had initially disrupted the fire dousing operation, but the police forcibly removed the people from the spot and facilitated fire-fighters to get into action. After about one-and-a-half hour of operation, they succeeded in extinguishing the fire.
As per eye-witnesses, the fire was first discovered at the house of Maruthi at about 12.00 noon and suddenly expanded to other five houses in the same line and another house in the front. The others who lost their houses in the accident are Tayappa, Narasimhalu, Sakrappa, Geethabai and Mahadeva.
“Rs. 1.30 lakh has been reduced to ashes in the fire. It is a huge amount for me that I saved from my hard work,” Saskrappa told The Hindu showing half-burnt currency notes. Maruthi, another victim, said he lost Rs. 25,000 in the accident.
“The hard-earned valuable jewelleries, grains, cloths, cooking utensils, television and other household articles have completely been destroyed in the fire. All we earned from our years of labour is reduced to ashes within minutes,” a lady was lamenting at the spot.
Raichur MLA Dr. Shivaraj Patil, councillor Gora Masum and others visited the spot.
“We have made temporary arrangements for providing food, cloths, blankets and other essential materials in a nearby school. We have also making arrangements to provide building materials to the victims for rebuilding the houses,” Deputy Commissioner, Sasikanth S. Senthil told The Hindu.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/seven-huts-gutted-in-fire-accident-in-raichur/article6785052.ece

MANGALURU: Firemen on their Toes With Weed Blazes:: Published: 13th January 2015 06:00 AM

MANGALURU: Call it a sign of the early summer crawling in or the callousness of smokers, grass is often on fire in Mangaluru city. A variety of weed commonly found in the city has become a fire hazard, keeping the fire brigade on their toes.
“We have been getting at least 10 calls daily for a week about ground fire from all over the city, particularly on highways and beach-side villages,” regional fire officer H S Varadarajan told Express.
“The City Corporation or the village panchayats could cut the weed before it dries up. I have heard that this weed makes good cattle fodder, but neither the panchayat nor the corporation heeds to our requests. The fire is started by careless smokers who throw live cigarettes into thickets,” he said and added that the fire can become lethal if it is near petrol bunks.  The weed is a type of tall grass that started growing in the district just two years ago and was first found along the National Highway-66. Botanists say the seeds of this grass must have dropped from trucks carrying foodgrains from the port to other districts. But soon, it spread all over the city.
Mayor Mahabala Marla said the corporation officials have tried cutting the weed, but even an army of workers is not enough to completely clear it.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/Firemen-on-their-Toes-With-Weed-Blazes/2015/01/13/article2617592.ece

F/C NO:- 48/2015.. DATE :-14-01-2015.. T.O.C :- 10:16Hrs.. ADDS :- Om Sai Apartment, 10th cross, Near Leela palace, Kodihalli, Old Airport road, B'lore.... N.O.F :- Fire in Apartment at 2nd Floor.. V.T.O :- 01 W/T & 01 AGNI from SFS Sent to Spot...